Electric connecter



Aug. 2, 1938; M; LDEN 2,125,708

ELECTRIC CONNECTER Filed May 8, .1953

Bum/6m .BITINGEDGE MILTON ALDEN,

INVENT I Patented Aug. 2, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE My invention relates to what are sometimes termed wiring devices and particularly toa connecter for the cable, of electric devices such' as radio sets employing a number of conductors and providing sockets for a plurality of prongs such as radio tube prongs and corresponding projecting terminals.

, One object is' to provide a contact and eflective terminal for a cord.

A special object is to provide a construction of this character which is reliable andcan' be made cheaply. V 7

Another object is to provide a small but compact and eflective device which can accomnio date a, large number of conductors and terminal contacts and still avoid the electrical dimculties frequently found in such devices.

In-carrying out the invention I provide an insulating body which has a number of recesses closed at one end of each and open at the other end for the reception of tube or other prongs. Adjacent each of such recesses is a passage open at both ends of the body and adapted to receive one end of an insulated conductor of the cord or cable. In each recess is secureda single conducting strip serving as a resilient contact along one wall of the recess and having a lug at its outer end connected to the tip of the adjacent conductor alongside of the entrance to the recess. The inner end of the contact strip is wedged into the bottom of the recess. v

Fig. 1 is a side view of the construction embodying one form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view and partial section showing contacts in some of the recesses and other re- '40 and conductor.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the plane 01 the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

' Fig. 6 is a side view and partial section showing one of the contact strips partially assembled 45 with its conductor.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section of the completed device showing one of the contacts and its connected conductor and inserted terminal prong.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of one of the con- 50 tact members. V

i The body I may be of any suitable moulded insulating composition provided with a series of contact recesses ll each of which is open at its outer or entrance end and closed at the inner or 55 opposite end 12. Alongside of each recess and contact.

communicating with it is a passage I! for a conductor andopenat both ends. The ledges or shoulders I are,v provided between each recess II and its adjacent passage [3. These ledges extend from the bottom or near the bottom of each recess to points near the outer end of the corresponding-recess.

Eachcontact and terminal member is formed of a single strip of metal oif-suitable resilient character having a contact portion l5 which is 1 preferably somewhat bowed and a foot l6 adapted to be wedged into a recess H so that each corner I! can dig into the insulating material and serve as a means of anchorage for the Each recess is made enough larger 15 than theprong 18 so as to allow for certain variations in the size of the prong and for the spring action of the contact l5.. The bowed portion l5 of each contact is oflset somewhat from the lower portion 19 adjacent the foot l6 so as 20 to provide room for the resilient action of the spring.

The conductor 20 of any suitable type is pro vided with a covering of insulation 2i and they passage I3 is made large enough to accommodate 25 this conductor and its insulation.

The strip I5 is provided with a lug 22 having perforation 23 into which the tip 24 of the conductor may be inserted and soldered or otherwise suitably secured. The ends of all the wires and 30 lugs may be completely covered by an insulating disc 25 heldsn'ugly within the flange and periorated to receive the tube or other prongs.

' The parts may be assembled as shown in Fig. 6. That is, the conductors will be inserted through 35 the reception passages with their tips projecting somewhat beyond the. end of the body. The contact strips are then inserted in their respective recesses and the ends of the conductors soldered to the lugs of the contacts. This con: 40 struction permits of the simultaneous soldering of all of the conductors to their respective contact lugs. When the conductors have been soldered the contact strips may all be forced into' place simultaneously by suitable plungers corresponding to the prongs it so that the corners I! of the contact strips are wedged into the adjacent walis of the respective recesses. This wedging action is sumcient to prevent the contacts from being pulled out when the prongs I8 of a tube or plug are withdrawn.

It will be seen that when the parts are. as-

. sembled a pull on the conductor cable is resisted by the combinedaction otall of the conductors and the attached contacts. The insulation 2! is conductor in said passage having its end soldered completely protected within the body around the ends of the wires.

It should; be understood that the shape of the contact portion l5 may be altered or modified in any suitable manner, for instance, to increase the strength or gripping quality of the contact according to well known methods.

The same insulating body shape can be used for three, four and more contacts. The construction makes it possible to use a maximum number of contacts for a. given size of body. The

same connecter can be used to receive plugs having a less number of prongs than there are contacts in the body. The oval or elongated cross section of recess and passage and the offset arrangement allows for a maximum number of contacts for a given outer diameter of body.

By the terms front or forward" end or side I refer to the portion of the connecter into which a plug is inserted, and by the terms rear or "back portion I refer to that portion of the connecter disposed oppositely to the front end.

I claim:

1. An electric connecter comprising an insulating body having recesses open at one end for receiving terminal prongs and closed at the other end and passages opening toward the latter end of the body and communicating with the open ends of the recesses, a contact strip arranged along one side of each recess with a foot resiliently bitingly engaging the wall of said recess near its closed end and having a lug extending transversely of the other end of the body in line with the adjacent passage, and a conductor in each passage having its end electrically connected to the lug at the end thereof.

2. An electric connecter comprising an insulating body having a recess open at one end for receiving a terminal prong and closed at the other end and a passage open at both ends and extending through the body alongside of the recess, a contact strip arranged lengthwise in said recess and secured therein and having a lug extending transversely of the other end of the body in line with said passage, and an insulated conductor in said passage having its end electrically connected to said lug, said contact strip having its end opposite to the lug-carrying end provided with means for resiliently bitingly engaging the wall of the recess which contains said contact strip.

3; An electric connecter comprising an insulating body having a recess open at one end for recelving a terminal prong and closed at the other end and a passage opening toward the latter end of the body and communicating with the recess, supporting ledges between parts of the recess and the passage, a contact strip laterally supported by said ledges with a foot secured in the closed end. by resiliently bitingly engaging the wall of said recess near the closed end thereof and a lug at the other endof the body, and an insulated to said 1118.

4. A cord connecter comprising a one-piece 1nsulating body having a recess open at one end for receiving a terminal prong and a passage open at both ends and communicating with the recess throughout its entire length, supporting ledges between parts of the recess and the passage, a contact strip laterally supported by said ledges and having one end thereof provided with means for resiliently bitingly engaging the wall of said recess and a lug extending transversely of the body in line with said passage, and an ans-awe insulated conductor in said passage having its end electrically connected to said lug.

5. A cord connecter comprising a one-piece insulating body having recesses each open at one end for receiving terminal prongs and closed at the other end and passages opening at both ends of the body and communicating with the respective recesses, a contact strip arranged lengthwise in each recess with a foot secured in the closed end of said recess, by resiliently bitingly engaging the wall thereof and having 2. lug at the other end of the body, and a conductor in each passage having its end electrically connected to the lug at the end thereof.

6. A connecter comprising an insulating body having a recess and a passage arranged side by side, a contact strip having its inner end wedged into said recess by means resiliently bitingly engaged with the wall of said recess to hold the strip in place and having a laterally resilient contact portion along one side next to said passage and having its outer end in said passage and an insulated wire in said passage having its tip soldered to the outer end of the strip.

7. A connecter having an insulating body with a recess open at one end and a passage alongside the recess open at the opposite end of the body and narrow ledges between part of the recess and part of the passage and a contact having one end wedged into the bottom of the recess by means resiliently bitingly engaged with the Wall of said recess alongside of the ledges and an insulated conductor in the passage connected to the contact, said contact being adapted to frictionally engage a prong inserted in said recess in the same direction in which said contact is inserted therein, and said conductor entering said passage at the end thereof most distant from the open end of said recess.

8. A connecter socket including a single integral block of insulation comprising the body thereof, said body being provided with a recess open at one end and at least partially closed at the other end, and also including a resilient contact strip having a lateral projection at one end thereof and extending longitudinally of said recess to the bottom en thereof, said projection bitingly engaging the wall of said recess when said contact strip is inserted therein, said contact strip and said recess cooperating to allow the easy insertion of the strip into the recess and to prevent the withdrawal of the strip when a contact plug moves longitudinally in said recess so as to make frictional contact with said strip, said block of insulation affording entry to said contact member in the same recess which aflords entry to an inserted contact prong whereby said single recess acts both to retain said contact strip and to allow a prong to enter therein at said open end.

7 9. A connecter socket including a single integral block of insulation comprising the body thereof, said body being provided with a recess at least partially open at one end, and also including a resilient contact strip having a lateral projection at one end thereof, said strip extending longitudinally of said recess and said pro jection bitingly engaging the wall of said recess when said contact strip is inserted therein, said contact strip and said recess cooperating to allow the easy insertion of the strip into the recess and to prevent the withdrawal of the strip when a contact plug moves longitudinally in said recess so as to make frictional contact with said strip,

said block of insulation afiording entry to said contact member in the-same recess which affords entry to an inserted contact prong whereby said single recess acts both to retain said contact strip and to allow a prong to enter therein at said open end.

10. In a female connecter, an insulating block provided with an open-ended recess therein, a resilient contact member of narrower body width than said recess, having the major portion of its length lying in a single direction and being provided with a laterally extending tab bitingly engaging the wall of said recess, restraining said contact longitudinally in said recess and restraining its lateral movement substantially at one end only of said contact, whereby the body portion of said contact has lateral movement so as to adjust itself to make contact with a prong inserted open at the front end only, contact makingmembers capable of insertion into said recesses, means adjacent the ends of said contact members nearest the front ends of said recesses, when said members are inserted therein; forfastening conductors to said contact members, said body also having therein a plurality of passages parallel to said recesses and respectively alongside said recesses, for leading said conductors alongside said recesses and substantially parallel thereto, said conductors passing through said passages and out of the rear of said body, whereby any pull upon said conductors will tend to force said contact members into said recesses.

12. In a female connecter for receiving the prongs of a plug, at least two passages substantially parallel to and alongside one another, one of said passages being closed at the rear end of said connecter, an insulating wall at least partly separating said passages, a contact member entering said closed passage, and means at the front end of said contact member for attaching a wire thereto, said wire lying in said other passage alongside said closed passage, so that pull upon said wireis transmitted to said contact member and resisted by the interior surfaces of said closed passage in which said contact member lies.

13. A socket connecter for a radio plug comprising an insulating body having two recesses arranged side by side with a shoulder formed of insulating material at one side of each, one recess being open at the-front face of the body and the other recess being open at the rear face, a laterally yielding contact extending longitudinally in that recess which lies open so as to receive a prong of said radio plug when inserted into the front face of said body, an insulated conductor inserted in the other recess from the rear end of said body and-having its end fastened to the contact near the said opening for the prong whereby pulling strain upon said conductor will be communicated substantially as longitudinal strain to said contact, and tend to seat said contact more firmly.

14. A socket for a radio plug-in device consisting of an insulating body having an entrance passage for an insulated conductor leading through the rear face of the body into a recess in the front face, an extension recess laterally of the first mentioned recess, said body having supporting shoulders at the sides of the extension recess, a contact mounted in the extension recess and supported against said shoulders, the front end of the conductor remote from the entrance passage being secured to the front end of the contact and an insulating cover for the front of the body having an opening for insertion of a prong to engage the contact in the extension recess, said cover extending over the front end of the conductor and its insulation whereby pulling strain upon said conductor will be communicated substantially as longitudinal strain to said contact, and tend to seat said contact more firmly.

15. A connecter for cooperation with a-connecting plug, including a body holding in position a substantially flat strip of sheet metal having a portion shaped to lie along at least a portion of a cooperating plug, said strip having a bent portion extending laterally from said plug contacting portion adjacent the front end of said body at which the plug enters, a wire extending from the rear of said body along the portion of the connecter engaging the plug; with insulation around the wire substantially contiguous thereto for a substantial length, the wire'being free of its insulation for at least a short distance at its front end, said end being fastened to said lateral portion of said connecter whereby said connecter with its attached wire is economical of space both longitudinally and laterally of the connecter and its cooperating plug and whereby strain upon-said wire is imparted to said connecter as longitudinal strain thereupon.

16. A connecter for cooperation with a connecting plug, comprising a substantially flat strip of sheet metal having a portion shaped to lie along'at least a portion of a cooperating plug, a bent portion extending laterally from, said plug contacting portion adjacent the front end of said connecter at which the plug enters, a wire extending from the rear end of said connecteralong the portion of said connecter engaging the plug, with insulation around the wire substantially contiguous thereto. for a substantial length, the wire being free of its insulation for a short distance and being fastened to said lateral portion of said connecter and insulating guide means at least partly surrounding said insulated wire and substantially paralleling theportion of MILTON ALDEN. 

